ABOUT TARA JEPSON

IT ALL STARTED IN PORTLAND

That’s where I’m from, and it’s also home to some of the most iconic brands and agencies we know. Nike, Adidas and Wieden+Kennedy, namely. I was a competitive soccer player as a kid, so I grew up steeped in the lore of those institutions. Little did I know, I’d go on to work with iconic brands just like them.

But first, travel. I began with India, where I spent six months working my way North to South. Taking the train 2,045 miles from Dharamshala to Kochi, I knew I’d never stop doing this, exploring the world, experiencing culture, and connecting the dots for myself and others. What I didn’t yet know is how integral it would become to my work. Turns out I’m a story seeker, a hardcore researcher. Whether it’s checking out street art in Sao Paulo or discovering the best omakase in Tokyo (it’s at Ryusuke), there’s an arc inside everything and I am here for it.

In college, I thought I’d be a writer. In a way, I am. It’s just that I tell stories with campaigns and creative collaborations and business structures. I find the ways that culture bubbles up naturally within a brand, and then I catalyze that effect. I first did this at Nike itself, when I worked with a consulting firm that threw me into meetings with C-suite talent, where we found ways to bridge the chasm between design and sales by creating customized storytelling programs. That’s when I mastered the art of the stakeholder interview. I saw how brand marketing begins deep on the inside and radiates outward.

Since those days, it’s been a lot of adventures with a lot of agencies and a lot of brands in a lot of places all over the world. I worked with brands like Kate Spade, Coach and Tiffany in New York, opened an office in London to work with Burberry and Harrod's, and jetted to Paris to work with Chanel. I also worked on brands like Michael Kors, Audi and MAC Cosmetics before landing in LA in 2013 to join Phenomenon, where I helped launch the SLS hotel in Las Vegas, led workshops for Imagine Entertainment and helped develop new retail concepts for brands like Men's Wearhouse. Then, I jumped over to Huge as VP of strategy, helped build Zelle from the ground up and worked on Amazon’s first advertising campaign focused on Prime Student membership.

As an independent consultant, I’ve worked with established brands like IPSY, Reebok, Gilt Groupe, Jetsetter (sold to TripAdvisor) Hudson Jeans, Artspace (owned by Phaidon) and Nordstrom, as well as startups like Complex Culture and Kicksnation. I love helping brands understand their own culture and their relationship to the larger culture. I dive deep to make those connections apparent and bring them to the fore.

And the adventure continues…In October of 2020, I jumped at the chance to consult for one of my mentors Stephanie Dolgins, who had just become Raptive’s first-ever CMO. After four months, I realized this wasn't just a brand strategy project; this was an opportunity to dive all the way in and for the first time in my career, work full-time for a company that is genuinely mission-driven.

For those who aren't familiar, Raptive powers revenue, audience, and business solutions for 4,800+ creators and enterprise publishers, including some of my favorites like Half Baked Harvest, Emily Henderson, and My Mediterranean Dish.

Our passion and expertise have made us a leader in advertising and creator services. Today we rank as the 7th largest digital property in the U.S. and #1 in Food, Family, Home, and Lifestyle--with a reach of nearly 195M monthly unique visitors. We want to ensure these incredible creators can continue to grow their thriving businesses. I'm in awe of what they have created and grateful that I have the opportunity to continue to support them and their future.